The Devil in Distractions
Look at when things crumble. Do you ever see why? Sometimes it’s obvious, so much so that you don’t even need to say it aloud. But other times you lean in, listen closely, and look for clues. Like a mystery, you have to find when, where and how something went wrong. Once you find a misstep, you find your path to the right answers. Only it doesn’t need to be a murder for you to find a mistake.
Think about anything not going the right way. A work ethic falling apart, a marriage on its last thread, a goal you have breaking because you cannot do it anymore. While there is not always an easy finger to point to with problems, there is one thing we often all miss: distractions. In all of our problems, we can be manipulated and mistaken by a distraction. A work ethic can lose its vigor by a distraction of technology or alcohol, a marriage can weaken by a distraction of lust or career, and a goal can be distracted by food or bad friends. It doesn’t matter what it is, we can all fall prey to the elusive nature of a distraction.
When we look at something important to us, namely, a career, a family, a marriage, or a goal, they often start with something small. It is a compromise, like twisting rules on your plan to lose weight or staying 30 minutes longer at work than you told your spouse you were going to. It’s a small distraction, but one attractive enough for you to adjust your path in life.
We must not make the mistake of believing that failure in what’s important only happens in the most obvious and huge manners. The devil is in the distractions. It’s the sharp, whispering voice that changes our course and begs us to tilt our direction. We must beware of it, because every decision matters. If we don’t take the life we have in front of us seriously, we will follow every distraction, not every choice. The moment we fall prey to a distraction is the moment we make a small compromise. Is it the end? Of course not. But months of compromises lead to a devastating distraction. Be watchful, intentional, and make choices that matter, one step at a time.
